What makes us happy?

Yesterday I had a short but interesting conversation with my great aunt which has got me thinking. Unfortunately, she is going through a tough time in her life and during our phone conversation she asked me a strange question. She asked me whether I was happy. It is a simple enough question you would think right? But I was lost for words. I didn’t know what to tell her. No one had ever asked me that before. So the analyser in me got thinking after I put down the phone.

Happiness - what is it? Is it a state of mind? The scientist in me would say that it is a feeling that you have due to high levels of a chemical made by the body called serotonin. But if we think about the everyday meaning of the word – what makes us happy? Is it little moments which stop us in our tracks as we go about our lives. Little things in life that make us smile such as the early morning sun, the smile of the love of my life or the first snow of the year. Or is happiness a more permanent state of mind brought about by things that are more sustainable – such as a good job or a partner? I wish I knew the answer.

Despite being in the state of happiness there is always something that is on our mind that stops us being happy. There are plenty of things that distract us from that happy place that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. For me getting into university to do the degree that I have always wanted to do made me the happiest person in the world. I had a bit of a rough time before that – so this was the happy news that I needed to change my life. I was so happy. I was just over the moon! Then when I started the degree the sheer workload and the pressure of deadlines were on the forefront of my mind and I forgot to be happy. I forgot to appreciate how lucky I am and instead I let myself be consumed by worries.  

But there are lots of little moments that I try and snatch for myself during the day that make me happy. Just today I put on one of my favourite happy cheerful songs – Mamma Mia and danced around my bedroom pretending to be Meryl Streep. I do that sometimes. When I tell others about my pop star alter ego they just look at me in embarrassment like I am a weirdo. They just don’t understand. Life for me can sometimes feel like one long routine. I do the same things every day and sometimes I like to take a couple of seconds and do something different. Just to make the day different to the one before. These are my little moments of happiness. Sometimes I like to just forget about everything and just have a sing-along and be a rock star! We all need a little boost every day to make us feel good and happy! Right?